Palermo has street food, classic Sicilian restaurants and places where a tasting menu fills the evening. These four choices are in the old town. Choose a quick stop or a longer dinner to fit your day, and check the menu against your group’s preferences and budget.
Choose your place to eat
Sicilian classics
Buatta Cucina Popolana
Via Vittorio Emanuele 176
Traditional Sicilian food in a former shop on the main street through the old town. A lively choice for fish, meat and vegetables. Michelin recommends booking.
Go for: Sicilian dishes from the seasonal menu.
Mid-range · Michelin €€
Lunch or dinner
Osteria Ballarò
Via Calascibetta 25
Sicilian ingredients in Palazzo Cattolica’s former stables. There is a lunch menu, a children’s menu and a larger dinner menu with fish, seafood and vegetarian dishes.
Go for: The lunch menu or fish from the current dinner menu.
Lunch menu €35 excluding drinks
A longer dinner
Osteria dei Vespri
Piazza Croce dei Vespri 6
Modern seasonal cooking on a small old-town square. Choose à la carte or one of several tasting menus, including a vegetarian option. Give the meal time in your evening plan.
Go for: The vegetarian menu or a seasonal tasting menu.
Vegetarian menu €100 without wine · Michelin €€€
Palermitan street food
Antica Focacceria S. Francesco
Via Alessandro Paternostro 58 · Kalsa
Classic Palermitan dishes beside Piazza San Francesco. Choose a simple snack or a larger meal. Pane câ meusa is a spleen sandwich, so choose it for the flavour rather than just the name.
Go for: Arancine, anelletti or pane câ meusa.
Pasta €11–17.50 on the published menu
The city
A taste of Sicily
Before you go
- The Ballarò restaurant is on Via Calascibetta, not at Ballarò market itself. Use its map address when planning your old-town walk.
- Book dinner if it is central to your evening. Fit the rest of your city route around the table time, especially for a longer tasting menu.
- Use the menu and map link to choose by both food and location. A coastal restaurant may be some distance from the old town.
- Prices are examples from menus or the relative categories of named guides. Drinks, cover charges and extras may cost more; check the current menu before ordering.
Questions about eating out
Where is Osteria Ballarò?
Osteria Ballarò is at Via Calascibetta 25 in the old town. Plan your route using the restaurant’s address rather than navigating to Ballarò market.
Where can I try Palermitan street food?
Antica Focacceria S. Francesco serves arancine, anelletti and pane câ meusa, among other dishes. The last is a spleen sandwich. Check the Palermo menu on its own website.
Is there a place with a lunch menu and a children’s menu?
Osteria Ballarò has both. The checked lunch menu was €35 excluding drinks. Consult the current menu and confirm that day’s offer with the restaurant.
Sources and latest check
Checked 20 October 2026. Four selected places for different occasions, based on current menus, the venues’ own information and named guides. Photos show the city and Sicilian food, not the recommended restaurants. Check the venue for today’s menu, prices and opening hours.